


On The Way Home

by nationalnobody



Category: The Creatures (Youtube RPF)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fruit Shop AU, M/M, Movie Night, NovaHD - Freeform, SlyPKC - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2015-10-23
Packaged: 2018-04-27 17:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5057803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nationalnobody/pseuds/nationalnobody
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over the course of a year, going to and fro Eddie’s house, Aleks ends up falling in love with the curly haired idiot who works at the fruit shop and helps old people like his life depends on it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On The Way Home

There's this quaint little fruit shop that lies on the corner of Bartholomew Street and Wellington Drive that Aleks passes by every day or so on his way to Eddie's. It's a routine - he walks along the slightly raised path, somehow manages not to trip over the cracks in the ground that the council promised they'd patch up months ago and watches in fascination, every single time, as the stray cat he's come to name Jordan, curls up and proceeds to lay beneath sparse shrubbery. When he finally crosses the shop, he always manages to sneak a quick sidewards glance into it, though his eyes mostly fall upon the tall, husky idiot who is often rushing out to help old people carry their shopping bags to their car. Aleks really likes it, _him_ , but he's not letting anyone else know about his tiny, unrequited crush on Fruit Man any time soon, especially not Eddie. He'd never hear the end of it if he told him.

Caught up in his thoughts, he almost forgets that he’s waiting for someone to open the door but then it’s being thrown open and Eddie’s grinning face is all his brain can seem to register - _so Goddamn bright_. 

“Hey man!”

Aleks smiles as he’s ushered inside, replying with a quiet ‘hey’. Eddie doesn’t question it, for that Aleks is grateful, he just wants to dive straight into their movie night antics. However, Seamus, who sits cross-legged on the couch, prods him about it when he remains quieter than usual.

“I’m fine…” Aleks mumbles to the blonde when Eddie disappears into the kitchen to make nachos or something along those lines. Seamus frowns, staying silent. A few moments pass and then a small ‘oh’ has left his lips and Aleks doesn’t even want to begin this conversation though he knows he's already too far in it.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d say Eddie was right but seems he was wrong.”

Aleks quirks his brow, perplexed, “What?”

“You and that guy from the store. Eddie thinks you two are going out, told me so after he walked past the store those three times when you came home with him. Said you couldn’t take your eyes off him!” Seamus’ grin is downright devilish and as Eddie walks back into the room, a mess of a bowl of popcorn in his hands, he immediately knows something is up. Aleks’ ears have turned red with embarrassment and damn, Eddie is _so_ here for this since the Russian basically blushes once every ten years. 

“Are you two actually going out?” Eddie exclaims, hope dripping from his voice. Aleks wants to slap himself, he really didn’t think he had been that easy to read.

Seamus still has that shit-eating grin plastered on his face, Eddie’s bouncing on the balls of his feet and all the while Aleks continues to keep his gaze locked on the gaudy, botched rug beneath his feet.

The silence drags on; he exhales, once, twice.

“No.” _I wish,_ is the part he doesn’t say aloud. Eddie makes a noise of discontentment and moves to pat Aleks on the shoulder but he just shrugs him off. Seamus remains quiet and idly, Aleks wonders why. 

He watches as Eddie shakes his head slightly and loads up the DVD - a shitty horror film they bought for three dollars at Walmart. No more words on Aleks’ now barely inscrutable situation are spoken and he’s beyond thankful.

The couch dips as Eddie eases himself in between Seamus and Aleks. There’s the click of a remote, the sound of bodies rustling and a small breath of love Aleks knows comes from Seamus and he knows Eddie’s the cause of it. It’s something they think he hasn’t caught onto but of course he has, honestly who _hasn’t?_

Cognac coloured eyes flicker back to the television as pale fingers lay atop each other, the sonance of tacky horror fading in and out of his mind. He doesn’t pay much attention as his mind is elsewhere but occasionally shrieks from the surround sound bring him back to reality and by the end of it, he comes to understand that the movie really has no significant plot whatsoever and he was better off not paying it next to no regard at all. He’s also fairly certain that Eddie and Seamus stopped watching long ago, having instead taken to playing ‘discreet’ games of footsie underneath the coffee table.

Nobody in the room notices when the end credits start rolling and it’s only after silence fills the house entirely that they turn to each other. 

Eddie’s the first to rise and the first to speak, “Well, I’m gonna grab some food. You boys coming?” Seamus nods, stretching on the way up. Suddenly, a pair of keys and a shout are being thrown his way, “Aleks! You’re driving, c’mon!”

With a peculiar noise a somewhere between a chuckle and a sigh, he hauls himself off the couch and to the entranceway of the house where the not-so-secret lovers stood. “What’re we getting?” He asks because dammit, he didn’t touch the popcorn and he’s actually really hungry.

“Taco Bell?” Eddie’s question is followed by groans of disapproval so the idea is scrapped.

“How about the new Thai place that opened up near the fruit shop?” Seamus, always the voice of reason, asks. Grinning, Eddie wraps an arm around Seamus’ shoulders, “Always coming up with great ideas little moose.”

Aleks watches as the hush tones of Seamus’ cheeks fade into a bright pretty pink and his lips form a scowl and he thinks to himself, _that must be love._ Absentmindedly, he wishes that he gets to experience it soon.

Eddie locks the door and the trio clamber into the car that Eddie’s had since high school, a little old, once bright blue now faded, mess of a vehicle. Nonetheless, it drives smoothly enough and Aleks feels oddly at home behind the wheel, almost smiles to himself at the thought that he’s probably driven this car more than Eddie has and he isn’t even the owner.

Aleks revs the engine the car lurches forward. He watches bemusedly as Seamus jolts out of his seat, throwing a curse Aleks’ way before continuing to fiddle with the radio, tuning the channel to rid the car of the sound of static. 

Seamus decides to pick a station that plays country music and both Aleks and Eddie groan at the choice because they can’t change it and now they’ll all be stuck listening to cowbells and banjos for the next ten minutes.

“Really?” Eddie asks as he lays his head against Seamus’ shoulder.

“It’s meant more for Aleks than you…”

Aleks doesn’t even glance at the backseat, just keeps driving all the while thinking _bloody country music._  

When they near the corner of Bartholomew Street and Wellington Drive, Aleks brings the car to slow before parking it on the side of the road closest to the fruit shop. Eddie’s out of the car before Aleks even takes the key out of the ignition and Seamus is being yanked out along with him. He lets out a sigh and unbuckles his seatbelt before exiting the car and joining the overly excited Eddie and the pleasantly content Seamus.

“Lead the way.” He says because Eddie’s description of ‘near the fruit shop’ could be ‘near the fruit shop but only twenty blocks down’.

Aleks trails behind and watches as Eddie links his arm with Seamus, who grumbles a little at the action, and thinks to himself, _you’ll have that one day soon too._

It’s only when they’ve almost passed the fruit shop that Aleks starts, “Shit! I forgot to lock the car!” Eddie turns around so quickly he almost flings Seamus forward, “Go, go, go! The restaurant is literally opposite here anyway, look.” Aleks glances across the street and to his surprise, there it was! Eddie wasn’t kidding when he said it was near.

Aleks nods quickly before beginning his run back to the car, it’s during times like these that he’s grateful he took up track in high school. It’s not that Eddie and Seamus live in a _bad_ neighbourhood per se, it’s more like it doesn’t take very long for an unlocked car to be stolen. 

The streetlamps, as dim as ever, provide him with little to no aid and he swears the government should fix it in case something-

“Ow! What the fuck?” Aleks braces his hands forward as he’s sent crashing onto the hard concrete of the footpath. He huffs for a bit, the run and fall both leaving him quite breathless, before realising what actually happened. He sits up and turns to the barely visible, _thanks shitty streetlamp_ , figure beside him who is practically shouting, “Are you okay? Jesus! Hey, hey! Did you hurt yourself?” 

Aleks almost laughs at the way the words keep tumbling out of this guy’s mouth, “I’m okay. What about you?”

The other man shuffles, the sound of sneakers dragging against concrete is how Aleks knows, “I’m good. Jesus, man, why were you running so fast?” The man asks and Aleks is up in a second and running again but this time he’s not alone.

“Hey! Damn, how fast?!” He hears the other man yell but he keeps going anyway. Luckily, the car is only a little ways away from where he fell so he reaches it pretty quickly. He opens the door with haste, switches on the inside lights and checks around to make sure everything is intact and that nothing’s been nicked and to his relief, everything seems to be okay.

He almost screams however, when he turns around to find that same figure from his fall right in front of him. “Fuck! What the fuck man?!” He exclaims and he’s just about to yell some more when his eyes adjust to the lighting and he realises that _oh, oh...This is Fruit Man. Oh fuck._

Fruit Man grins sheepishly and puts his hand out, “Sorry ‘bout that. I’m James by the way.” Heart somewhere in his throat, Aleks grips Fruit- _James_ ’ hand and shakes it gently. _Rough,_ is what he would call the texture of James’ hand and he liked it very much so.

When he realises that he’s forgotten to introduce himself, he hurriedly sputters out, “My name’s Aleksandr, just Aleks is fine. Not with an x _by the way_.” He adds and he’s glad he did because a small laugh bubbles out of James and wow he never thought such a small gesture could make him so giddy.

“I’ve seen you around actually,” James says as Aleks locks the car and they begin walking, “You’re always walking the same way.” Aleks won’t lie to himself, currently his brain is working a thousand miles a minute and he will definitely say something weird if he doesn’t get himself under control.

James shakes his head, “I work at the fruit shop. Not being a creeper or anything!” He clarifies with a slight laugh and Aleks smiles, hoping that James can see it in the dim light but he doubts it, “I’ve...Yeah, I’ve seen you around too.” Damn, that took a lot of courage.

They come to a stop right on the corner of Bartholomew Street and Wellington Drive, just before the front of the shop comes to view. The light from the lamp is a little brighter here, enough so they can see each other. 

Aleks drinks in the sight of russet eyes, dark scruff and curly hair that he just really wants to card his fingers through. After admiring him from afar for so long it feels sort of unreal to be this close if he’s honest.

His thoughts, and gawking, are interrupted when James mumbles, “Wow.” Aleks blinks, was that directed at him? He watches as James’ gaze moves to the side and slowly his cheeks are coloured in the prettiest of pinks, _wow indeed._

Aleks wants to keep this going, he wants to keep them talking, he doesn’t want this conversation to end so he asks, “So where were you headed before we collided?”

James looks back to him and waves his hand about, “I was heading back to the shop actually.”

Aleks smiles, he just can’t help himself it seems, “From helping some old person carry their shopping?” James’ eyes widen and Aleks thinks he’s made a mistake, said too much, made it seem like he’s been stalking him (which he sort of has but nobody needs to know that) but then James is grinning big and laughing while trying to hide his face with his hands.

“You’ve seen me do that?” He huffs out between a giggle, embarrassed.

Gaining confidence, Aleks replies, “It’s a nice thing to do. Very attractive.” He mumbles the last bit but James catches it anyway and sends a smug look his way, “Why thank you Aleksandr. If it’s any reassurance, you don’t even need to help old people to seem attractive.”

 _Is this real life?_ Is just about the only thing running through Aleks’ head at this point and it’s only been around fifteen minutes since ‘the collision’ and Aleks isn’t even a romantic but God Damn he’d be lying if he said he couldn’t see them living together and doing domestic shit at some point in time.

A genius idea makes its way into Aleks’ thought process and he thinks this is the smartest idea he’s come up with this year, “Are you um, done with work? Because if so, you should come to the Thai place right over there. Me and my friends are having dinner there.”

James smiles a raises a hand to ruffle Aleks’ short locks, “I’d love to. Lemme just tell my manager. I’ll be out in a bit!” He says as they walk forward once more, James’ curly head swiftly disappearing out of sight. 

Left to his own devices, Aleks takes immediate advantage of the situation and pulls out his phone to text Eddie.

 **To:** Sly

 **_>_ ** _i had an encounter with the fruit guy (now James) and he’s gonna be eating with us, okay? i’ll tell you and sea the story at home. also baby is safe, nobody stole anything B) see?_

_img0386.attached [preview]_

Within seconds he gets a text back, he’s mostly glad that Eddie is a super fast texter even if he’s erratic at times.

 **From:** Sly 

 **_> _ ** _OH MY GOD!! ALEKS! DID YOU TWO HOOK UP?! FINALLY._

 **_> _ ** _& wow did u rlly send me a pic of the shop? :P :’)_

 **_> _ ** _my small irishman says congrats btw! :DD_

 **_> _ ** _I actually said ‘fucking finally’ but whatever. -ss_

 **_> _ ** _did you two kiss yet :* :* :* mwah mwah_

 **_> _ ** _Okay right, you go get fruit boy, I’ll take care of Eddie. -ss_

Everyday, Aleks is a little more thankful for having Seamus in his and Eddie’s lives. The sound of jingling causes him to glance at the door and subsequently at James who is now sporting a leather jacket over some graphic tee and a pair of baggy blue jeans. _Oh shit, oh fuck._  

“C’mon Aleks!” James exclaims, grabbing the Russian by the hand, leading the way to the pedestrian crossing. Aleks keeps his lips sealed and takes to casually glancing at the man, now beside him, whose cheeks look _so_ soft to the touch.

The signal for the duo to walk chimes and when they reach the other side of the street, Aleks doesn’t really know what to do. James’ large, warm hand is still grasping his and it is so not fair that the restaurant is so close. He really wishes they could continue walking and talking for just a little while longer. 

“Do we just go in? Should I have dressed up fancier for our first date?” James voice is alight with humour and Aleks should definitely not be as happy as he is to hear that. 

“Why would our first date be here, you idiot?” He quips, earning a lovely little laugh from the slightly taller man.

“You’re saying you’d prefer a more homely setting then?” James asks as he lets go of the other man’s hand, Aleks suppresses a frown, and makes his way inside the restaurant.

Aleks doesn’t bother coming up with a reply and instead searches for Eddie and Seamus. A few shared confused looks and a ‘Sirs, do you require any assistance at all?’ later, Aleks’ text tone goes off.

 **From:** The Moose 

 **> ** _Head straight down and then look to your right, we’re over here. Had to stop Eddie from getting up and waving his arms like an idiot, be thankful. Didn’t want to embarrass you in front of your new bf you giant meme (_ _۶_ _•̀_ _ᴗ_ _•́)_ _۶_

Breathing out a sigh of relief, he nods at James and heads down the path Seamus had directed him to. He finds them quite easily, hearing Eddie’s giggles half the restaurant away. 

“Yo!” He says as he slides into the little booth opposite Seamus. James slots in next to him, eyes falling on the water jug in the middle of the table. Aleks decides to make this less awkward and fake an introduction, better to act as if his friends don’t know James at all.

“This is James, guys.” He starts, pointing to the red faced male before continuing, “James, this is Eddie and Seamus.”

James grins when he realises Eddie’s smiling like a loon and Seamus is not so subtly kicking at him under the table, “Nice to meet you two!” James exclaims and Aleks watches as Eddie says it right back with way more enthusiasm while Seamus just offers a lazy smile.

“So…” Seamus begins and God does Aleks have a bad feeling about this, there’s that fucking smirk again, _oh no_. “How long have you two been dating? Aleks here has told us nothing!”

James, for whatever reason, decides to play along with it, “Aleksandr! How could you have hidden it from them for so long?! It’ll be three years tomorrow actually!”

Aleks really wants to disappear, if the floor would just open and swallow him now that’d be just great. At least James knows how to joke along? That was a plus, surely? His futile attempts at trying to get back a semblance of his dignity falls apart as quickly as the art project he’d made back in middle school.

“Wow Aleks. That long, huh? You fiend.”

By the grace of God or the waiter’s amazing timing (who knows), Aleks is saved when the waiter brings over Seamus and Eddie’s meal. The waiter then pulls out a little notebook and turns to both Aleks and James, “Have you two ordered yet?”

“Uhm no, could you give us a minute?”

The waiter nods and walks off, leaving the four to themselves. “I don’t even want Thai food right now.” Aleks grumbles at which Eddie chortles and replies, “How ‘bout you James?”

James shakes his head, “I was actually gonna grab some pizza for dinner but since Aleksandr here offered so nicely I just couldn’t refuse.”

There’s a little pause in the conversation, that’s covered up by the hustle and bustle of the restaurant, before Seamus speaks up, “Why don’t you and Aleks get pizza then? Eddie and I’ll just eat here.” Eddie’s gaze switches to Seamus and he smiles, eyes full of all sorts of adoration, before nodding vigorously at the suggestion.

“Really?” Aleks questions, though he’s already placing the car keys on the table. He’s met with a fervent ‘yes, go!’ and ‘leave us already!’. Before he knows it, he’s waving goodbye to the losers at the table and being tugged out of the restaurant by an ebullient James. 

Aleks lets himself be lead by James to wherever this pizza place is. He ends up in front of a car however, not a pizzeria.

“The pizza place is like a ten minute drive from here.” James explains as he unlocks the car and gets in, Aleks follows suit.

“How long’ve you been working there, at the fruit shop?” He asks, genuinely curious because he’s been taking that same route to Eddie’s house for around a year now and he’s most always seen James in that little shop whenever he passed by. The man in question fiddles with the stereo for a bit and _thank God it’s not country,_ Aleks thinks as a soft sounding track begins playing.  

“Around two years I think. I know I should probably try get a better job but the pay is decent and it’s just nice and quiet.”

Aleks hums in agreement and takes to watching the blurring of objects through his window as they drive along near empty roads while James sings along softly to the song playing from the CD.

_With every beat that my heart skips, I hope you feel the same too._

He peeks at James from the corner of his eye, hands on the wheel and eyes fixed on the road. They come to a slow not moments later and James parks the car before turning to Aleks who has his hands in lap, continually grasping and letting go.

“We’re here.” James practically whispers, watching as Aleks lifts his gaze from his fingers to his face.

The engine hums softly and time, in all its glory, seems to stop. There’s a moment in between it all where Aleks simply watches those russet eyes fixated on him and lets out a tiny breath of love, much like Seamus had, before he can catch himself.

The engine fades to lifelessness and time picks up where it left off. Aleks is left sitting in the car with an ugly feeling gnawing at his insides as James tears his gaze away and almost stumbles out of the car in haste. _Move,_ he tells himself and he does. He opens the door, feet colliding with concrete and he walks forward towards James who stands beneath a bright streetlamp.

Aleks is not very forward of a person, not when he’s serious in any case, but he doesn’t dip his toes in the water this time, no, he falls face forward and right in.

“You should’ve just kissed me.” There’s this daunting silence during which Aleks wants to turn tail and run but he wants, no, _needs_ answers or just something. Anything. He’ll take anything at this point.

James steps forward. Everything within Aleks comes to a standstill and then James’ fingers gently grasp his chin before moving to rest against his cheeks. The loudest _thump, thump, thump_ he’s ever heard in his life rings clear in his ears, he hopes the other man can’t hear it.

The streetlamp flickers, a car whizzes past and with a longing he’s never felt before, his ever so slightly chapped lips meet James’ and there’s not a single doubt in the world that this is what he’s been waiting for.

Sparks don’t fly like they do in the movies, electric currents don’t course through his entire being and fireworks don’t burst behind his eyelids in a myriad of colours _but_ he feels at peace, he feels safe and it feels like coming home after being gone for so, so long. It’s everything he’s ever wanted and needed all at once and it’s gratifying.

Aleks moves back, breathless though the kiss wasn’t deep in the sense of motion, _emotion_ however, an entirely different concept.

Everything moves at a thousand miles a minute and James, whose face is buried awkwardly in Aleks’ shoulder, lets out what Aleks can only categorise as a breath of love and it shakes him to his core, sends him spiralling forward for more. His arms find their way around James with such a natural ease he could’ve sworn he’d done this a million times before. He grips him tight underneath the starless sky and he wonders to himself, _could this be love?_

On the drive back home, larger fingers intertwined with his own, pizzeria forgotten, he answers his question.

_It is love and if it is not, it surely will come to be._

**Author's Note:**

> come cry with me over slypkc & novahd 
> 
> tumblr: national-nobody  
> kik: shmu.


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